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Natural Water Protection

Protection of a lake, beach, or river swimming area is among the most challenging tasks in the aquatic industry. Proper training is essential to maintaining a safe and enjoyable facility. The following should be reviewed and practiced not only by aquatic staff, but also by any staff that deal with children. The rules apply to any site you use, regardless of location, regardless of ownership… keep your kids safe.

Preventive measures:

Inform staff and participants of the dangers and rules of natural water (i.e., lake, beach, river, etc.)

clearly define all the rules of behavior

clearly ban all unauthorized water activity

explain consequences of any rule breaking

define and implement a “buddy system”

emphasize that you never leave your buddy

if it isn’t safe…don’t swim… fix it or leave!

Utilize natural-water-certified lifeguards and all other eyes you can find. Emphasize the following:

use of smaller, more manageable zones

clear knowledge of each swimmer’s ability

strict rule and consequence enforcement

constant swimmer count awareness

check the bottom for depth/obstructions

understanding of any currents or tides

close observation of underwater swimmers

everyone watches when kids are in the water

Practice – whether for a single event outing or a regular activity. Don’t be caught unprepared.

Buddy system checks…30 second goal

Victim checks. Used submerged bucket or equiv.

Reactive measures:

Child is missing who was last seen in or near the open water area:

activate Emergency Action Plan…blow whistle, air horn, etc.

clear the water of swimmers… gather them together and remove them from the waterfront

check the water first! (i.e., do not await verification that the child is truly missing)

shallow water check (water up to about chest deep)

net search (use an upside-down volleyball net dragged along bottom)

keep the net tautly stretched, with the net’s header tape on the bottom

walk through the zone swiftly but systematically, overlapping search swathes

deep water check (volleyball net method sometimes can be used from a dock)

use goggles, mask, and fins; use minimum of 2 people, more if available

go down together, systematically covering one end to the other

repeat as needed, extending into non-swimming areas

concurrently (or after the water search if no additional staff is available) check other areas for the missing child (bathrooms, cabins, play areas, boating area, etc.)

Child has disappeared underwater (someone has seen child go under and not come back up)

swim to where the child was last seen…someone on shore guides the rescuer to the area… remember, for every foot of water depth, the child could be 2 feet from where s/he went under

deep-water rescue… attempt save, get assistance from others with mask and fins.

Explore New Technology

After this article was first published, new technology has become available that can both assist lifeguards in detecting and finding drowning swimmer in a natural water environment. Although Redwoods does not endorse any product, we will make you aware of products that we believe can improve safety in your facility.

Please call us at 800-463-8546 to discuss this or any other risk management safety tip, or visit our web site at www.redwoodsgroup.com to learn more about JCC risk management issues.